KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State built a 13-point second half lead then missed their next six shots and saw their lead trimmed to two but Rob Davis drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 0:43 to play and the Tigers held off Central Oklahoma 67-61 in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament at Municipal Auditorium.
With the win, the Tigers (20-9) advance to Saturday’s semifinals where they’ll face regular season champ Northwest Missouri State who beat Lindenwood 62-57.
FHSU Postgame Press Conference
Game Highlights
UCO (16-14) opened the game with a 7-0 run but the Tigers answered with a 16-2 run to go up seven. They led by as many as eight in the first half only to see the Bronchos battle back to within one at halftime.
Davis led the Tigers with 18 points, Jake Stoppel and Craig Nicholson both added 11. Dom Samac was held to four but pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
Central Oklahoma, who a season-high four-game win streak snapped, was led by Jarred Bairstow who scored 17.
Russell held an early 3-2 over TMP in Friday’s sub-state semifinals in Norton. The Lady Monarchs proceeded to go on a 14-0 run to end the first quarter and lead 16-3. The Lady Broncos would answer with the first four points of the second quarter to bring the TMP lead back to single digits at 16-7 and TMP took off again.
The Lady Monarchs outscored Russell 23-11 in the second quarter to take a commanding 39-14 lead at halftime. TMP shot a sizzling 63.6% from the field in the first half and out rebounded Russell 17 to four. Kayla Vitztum and Katelyn Zimmerman combined for 29 points in the first have to lead the Lady Monarchs.
TMP would build their lead to 32 points a couple of times in the second half. Russell made a little bit of a run in the fourth quarter to help make the scoreboard look a little better. The Lady Monarchs eventually won 61-37.
Vitztum led TMP with 22 points, Zimmerman added 19 and Madyson Koerner added 12. The Lady Monarchs are now 20-2 on the season and will take on Beloit Saturday evening in Norton for the 3A Sub-State Championship.
For the second year in a row, the Hays High Indians opened up play in one of the toughest sub-states in class 4A-1 against the Buhler Crusaders. Hays at 16-4 and Buhler at 15-5 claimed the two and three seed. McPherson entered post-season play at 19-1 as the one seed taking on fourth seeded Ulysses at 6-14.
Hays could not have drawn up a more picture perfect first quarter. Behind 12 first quarter points on four three point field goals from Isaiah Nunnery, Hays ran out with a 19-0 lead after the first eight minutes. Hays pushed the lead up to 21 points on three occasions in the second quarter.
Highlights
Buhler didn’t score their first points until the 6:40 mark of the second quarter on a pair of free throws. The Crusaders missed their first eleven shots before getting a field goal with 4:05 left in the first half.
Hays took a 32-12 lead to the half time locker room. Some where in the locker room momentum shifted.
Buhler stormed out of the half time break with a 8-0 run forcing a Hays time out at 32-20. Buhler ended hitting 10 of the first 13 shots of the second half getting back within two at 36-34. The Crusaders had a chance to take a lead on a three at that point but came up short. Hays ended the third quarter with a Maddux Winter three point play to go up five 41-36.
Like they did in the third quarter, Buhler started the fourth quarter with a run. This time a 6-0 run gave the Crusaders their first lead at 42-41 with 5:34 left in the game. Hays responded to the deficit with a seven point run to go up 48-42 over the next sixty seconds. Buhler twice got back to within a point. With the Indians leading 50-49, Drew Young stuck a three from the top of the key, giving Hays a two possession lead rest of the way.
Coach Rick Keltner
Hays hit just enough free throws and one field goal over the final 1:30 to secure a 60-53 victory. Isaiah Nunnery scored a game high 26. It his his fifth consecutive game scoring 20 or more points. Maddux Winter added ten in the victory.
Hays improves to 17-4 on the year. Buhler ends their season at 15-6. Hays will play the winner of McPherson/Ulysses on Saturday evening for a berth in the 4A-1 state tournament.
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State took the first of a three-game series in walk-off fashion against Central Oklahoma on Friday (Mar. 4) by the score of 10-9. With the win the Tigers move to 8-7 overall and 2-2 in the MIAA, while the Bronchos drop to 8-4 overall and 3-1 in the MIAA.
The Tigers got on the board early with three runs in the first. Caleb Cherryholmes hit his third home run of the season with one out giving FHSU a 1-0 lead. With two outs, Joe Mapes singled then moved to third after a double from Connor Ross. Alex Weiss then delivered a two RBI single.
The Bronchos got two runs of their own in the second thanks to back-to-back solo home runs from Isaac Hellbush and Jon Kamies.
UCO took its first lead in the fifth inning. A fielder’s choice allowed the leadoff man to score after walking prior, which tied the game. Another home run, a two-run shot, put the Bronchos on top 5-3.
The Tigers responded in the sixth when they pushed five runs across. With the bases loaded Austin Unrein delivered a two-out grand slam and Mapes followed that with a solo shot of his own.
The Tigers got one more run in the seventh when Clayton Basgall homered and the Tigers headed to the eight with a 9-5 lead. That Bronchos were not done as they rallied for three in the eighth. A three-run home run off the bat of Brenton Washausen cut the Tiger lead to just one and an RBI triple in the ninth tied the game at 9-9.
Ross led off the Tiger half of the ninth with a walk and moved into scoring position when Weiss singled up the middle. A sacrifice bunt from Alex King put runners on second and third with just one out. Hammeke was walked intentionally to load the bases in hopes of the ground ball double play. Basgall was able to deliver though, sending a ball deep enough to right field allowing Ross to score on the walk-off sacrifice fly.
D.J. Carr started the game on the mound for the Tigers and lasted eight innings giving up eight runs on ten hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts. Kyle Vogt was unable to get the save but picked up the win in relief by tossing one inning with a run allowed.
Game two between the Bronchos and Tigers will take place on Saturday (Mar. 5) at 1:00 p.m.
(L to R) Dom Samac, Stefan Krsmanovic, Nikola Kacperska and Emir Sabic
By Randy Gonzales FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Tiger athletic teams are accustomed to long road trips. The Fort Hays State University men’s and women’s basketball teams will be making another long one this week when the Tigers travel to Kansas City, Mo., for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association postseason tournament.
But the road to Kansas City pales in comparison to the journey to Hays made by four Tiger players.
The FHSU men’s basketball team has three international players on its roster in senior forward Dom Samac, freshman guard Emir Sabac and freshman forward Stefan Krsmanovic. Samac and Sabic are from Croatia, while Krsmanovic is from Serbia. The Tiger women also have an international player in junior guard Nikola Kacperska, who is from Poland.
“Playing in the United States was one of my main dreams in my career,” said Kacperska, who is from Tuszyn, Poland.
The players all agree they like their home away from home.
“It’s a small community, and therefore it’s a family,” said Samac, who is from Zagreb, Croatia. “Every time we play on the home court it feels like a family event. My real family’s not here, but I feel like a part of something bigger when I play on the court and I see all the fans cheering.”
Samac arrived in the United States when he was 16, playing his final two years of high school basketball in Florida. He then signed with NCAA Division I University of Denver. Samac was there two years before transferring to FHSU. Samac didn’t choose Fort Hays State blindly; he knew Tomislav Gabric — also from Croatia — who was on the Tiger squad the previous two seasons.
“He told me all about the school, how good it was here,” said Samac, an International Studies major who hopes to continue playing basketball in his native Croatia after FHSU. “I came here for my visit. I loved it.”
The other players got on the FHSU coaches’ radar by sending video of themselves in action to basketball programs across the country. Kacperska also had an agent helping place her with a U.S. team.
Men’s basketball coach Mark Johnson has developed connections with certain parts of the United States in his 18 seasons at FHSU. Now he has a connection with international players from another continent. Sabac and Krsmanovic are his first two international players in the program as freshmen.
“It’s always an adjustment going from high school to college,” Johnson said. “I can only imagine going to another continent. They’ve seemed to make a pretty good adjustment.”
“Probably the size of the city,” has been the biggest adjustment, said Sabic, who is from Zagreb, Croatia. “My city back home is like a million people.
“I think the first year is the toughest one,” he added. “I can’t wait to go back home and see everybody. I Skype with friends. If this was 20 years before — without technology — this would be tough.”
Samac is a starter and the team’s second-leading scorer, and while Sabic isn’t playing much his freshman year he at least is suiting up. Krsmanovic can only sit and wait his turn; he is redshirting this season.
Hays, America, has helped ease the transition.
“I’m in the Hays community, and Fort Hays State is an amazing place with amazing people,” said Krsmanovic, who is from Gomji Milanovac, Serbia. “Everybody around me makes sure it feels like home.”
Language was the biggest obstacle for Kacperska. She studied English for two years back home before FHSU offered her a scholarship prior to the 2013-14 season.
“I was learning it before, but to start talking it, being comfortable with it is the most challenging part,” Kacperska said. “I think I had the greatest barriers. I think it took me one year to communicate without being shy or being scared of talking to people.”
Women’s basketball coach Tony Hobson has had international players at previous colleges he has coached, but Kacperska is his first foreign-born player at FHSU.
“As a rule, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with international kids,” Hobson said. “Not only is it a great experience for (Kacperska), but I think it’s a great experience for the kids on our team to have her on the team, so they can learn. They learn a lot about what’s going on in the world from Niki and things they’ve never seen. I think it’s a good experience for everybody involved.”
All the players said they missed food from back home — there’s nothing like mom’s cooking.
“My mom, we have rolls with cabbage and meat inside,” Kacperska said.
The other players mentioned homemade soups.
“Her soup, I love her soups,” Samac said of his mother. “It’s a chicken soup we eat every lunch. It’s a tradition back home. We start our lunch with a soup and a salad.”
While the other players said they haven’t developed a taste for American food, Samac was the exception.
“I love steak,” he said. “I will tell you that a medium rare steak is what got me here, which I’ve never had before back home.”
Since the international players don’t go home for the holidays, they can spend that time with teammates or friends they have made at FHSU. Both Johnson and Hobson have had players over for holiday dinners.
It’s all part of making Hays — and Fort Hays State — feel like family.
“The type of community Hays is, people really embrace and take these guys in, make it an easier adjustment,” Johnson said. “We’re fortunate to have what we have and be where we’re at, with the community we’re in, the people in our community.”
That was evident on Senior Day, when Samac was honored along with the other Tiger seniors. Fans gave him a standing ovation when his name was announced.
“It was a great experience. I was not expecting that,” Samac said. “I was pleasantly surprised to see all these people standing, clapping for me, for a kid from another country. I was delighted.”
TMP and Beloit battled tooth and nail in Thursday night’s 3A Sub-State Semifinal in Norton and four quarters was not enough to decide the outcome. TMP held their largest lead of six points early in the second quarter at 16-10. Beloit would close the half on a 14-5 run to lead 24-21 going to the locker room at the break.
TMP scored the first bucket of the third quarter to pull within one and that’s when the Trojans started to put some things together. They would score the next eight points to lead by nine midway through the third quarter. The Monarchs chipped away at the lead and brought it down to a close 37-33 game heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter offense was hard to come by for either team, much like it had been the whole game. Beloit led by six twice, the second time being a near knockout punch with just under two minutes to play after the fourth three of the game by Taylor Travis made it 44-38 in favor of the Trojans. TMP would quickly answer when Jared Vitztum hit his second three of the game to cut the lead in half. Peyton Hoffman got in the action with a steal and a bucket to cut the lead to one. The Monarchs would hit a late free throw to tie the game and to overtime they went tied at 44.
In the first overtime both teams scored two points with TMP missing a late shot that to send the game to a second overtime. That’s when TMP would take their first lead since they led 18-17 early in the second quarter. Hoffman’s offensive rebound and score put TMP up 48-46 and they would never trail again. Ryan Ruder sealed the deal by hitting two late free throws to put the game out of reach.
Beloit finishes their season at 15-7. TMP improves to 19-3 on the year and will play Norton in the sub-state title game on Saturday at 7:30pm in Norton.
The Hays High Lady Indians headed out to Ulysses on Thursday night to open post-season play against Buhler. Just one notch in the win column separated the second seeded Lady Crusaders (8-12) and three seed Hays (7-13).
It was a rough first half for the two teams as they combined for 28 points. Buhler scored the first points of the game after 4:10 of play and took a 6-4 lead. The first points for Hays came with 1:55 left in the first quarter. Hays made just 2 of their 14 first quarter shots, but made the 14th to get within a basket at 6-4 at the end of the first quarter.
Highlights
Buhler used the games biggest first half run of 5-0 to build 16-8 lead. Hays scored the final four points of the quarter off baskets from Audra Schmeidler and Savannah Schneider and trailed 16-12 at half time.
Hays pulled within a single point at 20-19 on their first three pointer of the game from Mattie Hutchison. Buhler though responded with back-to-back threes to establish a seven point advantage. Trailing 27-22 entering the fourth quarter, Hays got within two points twice and three once. The last opportunity coming down 32-30 with 4:20 remaining following the second of three Talyn Kleweno fourth quarter three pointers. Buhler then went on their best run of the game, 13-0 over the next three minutes to put the game out of reach.
The Lady Indian’s season comes to a close with the 48-38 loss to Buhler. Hays ends the year at 7-14. Buhler moves into the championship game of sub-state on Saturday and improves to 9-12.
Coach Kirk Maska
Hays was led by the eleven points of Talyn Kleweno. The Indians graduate three seniors from the team, all who played a significant amount of games for coach Kirk Maska. Haley George played in 62 games, Nicole Dinkel 58 and Audra Schmeidler 69.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State scored the first 11 points of the third quarter, it was part of a 25-6 run going back to the midway point of the second quarter, and it carried them to a 79-65 win over Missouri Southern in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament at Municipal Auditorium.
FHSU Postgame Press Conference
Game Highlights
The Tigers (25-4) opened the game with an 8-0 run only to see the Lions answer with a 13-2 run to go up three. MSSU (18-12) led 23-22 with 5:34 to play in the second quarter when the Tigers put together an 11-2 run to take the lead back for good.
Jill Faxon led five Tigers in double-figures with 18 points and a game-high 19 rebounds. Beth Bohuslavsky added 14 points, Chelsea Mason and Nikola Kacperska both added 12. Taylor Chandler scored the Tigers first six points of the third quarter and finished with 11, all in the second half.
FHSU shot 43-percent for the game including 6-of-14 from 3-point range and outrebounded the Lions by five.
The Tigers will play in the semifinals at noon Saturday against either Pittsburg State or Central Missouri.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL Class 5A Sub-State Tournament
Sub-State #1
Semifinal
Bonner Springs 63, Blue Valley Southwest 42
Goddard-Eisenhower 66, Great Bend 35
Kapaun Mount Carmel 64, Andover 42
KC Washington 74, KC Schlagle 39
Maize South 69, Wichita Bishop Carroll 68
St. James Academy 51, St. Thomas Aquinas 37
Topeka Seaman 61, Leavenworth 55
Wichita Heights 57, Newton 35 Sub-State #2
Semifinal
Highland Park 61, Topeka West 51
KC Harmon 61, Pittsburg 50
Liberal 62, Arkansas City 52
Maize 70, Goddard 55
Mill Valley 75, KC Turner 63
Salina Central 69, Emporia 49
Salina South 77, Valley Center 67
Shawnee Heights 66, Lansing 53 GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Class 6A Sub-State Tournament
Sub-State #1
Gardner-Edgerton 41, Blue Valley Stillwell 38 Semifinal
Derby 62, Wichita Southeast 23
Garden City 34, Hutchinson 29
Manhattan 68, Topeka 55
Olathe Northwest 58, SM North 47
Olathe South 66, BV West 24
SM Northwest 70, KC Wyandotte 12
Wichita South 60, Wichita West 1 Sub-State #2
Semifinal
BV North 56, BV Northwest 51
Dodge City 58, Wichita Campus 23
Lawrence 60, SM East 48
Lawrence Free State 50, Wichita East 17
Olathe East 49, Olathe North 33
SM West 66, SM South 52
Washburn Rural 60, Junction City 38
Wichita Northwest 53, Wichita North 35
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Barry Brown scored 15 points on 5 of 8 3-pointers, senior Justin Edwards added 12 more in his final home game, and Kansas State routed TCU 79-54 on Wednesday night.
Brown and Edwards combined to hit eight of Kansas State’s 10 3-pointers. Wesley Iwundu finished with 11 points and seven assists for the Wildcats (16-14, 5-12 Big 12).
Brown hit his fourth 3-pointer with 13:37 left to stretch a 19-point halftime advantage to 58-33. Dean Wade gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the game – 31 points – with a pair of free throws late.
Chauncey Collins led TCU (11-19, 2-15) with 11 points. The visitors finished 18 of 54 from the field (33 percent).
Saturday’s loss at Central Oklahoma cost the Fort Hays State women two spots in the latest NCAA II Central Region rankings. The Tigers drop to No. 4. Pittsburg State continues to hold down the top spot with Winona State (Minn.) and Missouri Western State both moving up a spot.
The region rankings are used to help determine the field for the NCAA II national tournament. The field of 64 will be revealed Sunday evening.
No change for the Fort Hays State men’s basketball team in the latest NCAA Division II Central Region rankings. Despite a loss at Central Oklahoma in their regular season finale, the Tigers hold at No. 4 entering the MIAA Tournament.
Augustana (S.D.), who won their second straight Northern Sun Conference tournament title Tuesday, continues to hold down the top-spot with Northwest Missouri State at No. 2. Minnesota State-Moorhead is third.
Nebraska-Kearney of the MIAA is sixth with Missouri Southern State ninth and Pittsburg State 10th.
The region rankings are used to help determine the field for the NCAA II national tournament. The field of 64 will be unveiled Sunday evening.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
